Please advise a new scrapbooker...

[hulagirl]

Hi All...

I would love some advice on how to get started. I went down to A.C. Moore and discovered 5 aisles of scrapbooking stuff. It was totally overwhelming so...I figured I'd come back and ask all you wonderful DISsers!

Some of my questions:

What are the important essentials?
Are there groups out there I can join or books or tutorials to help get me started?
What tools are your favorites and what do you think you could not do without?
(also, what tools do you wish you hadn't bought because you never really use them? I have a tendency to do that with new hobbies).
What are some things you wish you knew when you first started?
What are some great ways to organize your things that actually encourage you to scrapbook whenever you have a free minute? (Is there a good storage solution you like?)

I'm sure I'll have alot more questions but I would appreciate any and all advice to get started. We've been going to Disney once a year for awhile so I'd love to start with a "Disney Through The Years" kind of album. Does that sound like a good way to start?

Thanks!

 

[LindaBabe]

I see you live in Central New York - anywhere near Gloversville? There's a terrific little scrapbook store there, Treasured times. I'm sure the owner, who's name slipped my mind - uh, Margaret? could help you get started.

We were out there Friday and she had a great little tool kit of all the beginner's necessities in a pink zipper case- I was wishing I didn't already have all the stuff.

For beginners, I like LSS better than big box stores because you can get advice and opinions, whereas at M, J or ACM, it's up to luck if you get someone who knows the craft.

 

[hulagirl]

We're in Baldwinsville...just outside of Syracuse. I think Gloversville is closer to Albany, no? I'll have to look in our area...I'm not sure if there are any small local stores. Now I'm curious.

 

[JandJ]

You could also look for a local Creative Memories consultant. Search on-line at Creative Memories for someone in your area. CM stuff can be pricey but their cutting system is the best one available and their albums are really nice. Hopefully you'll find a CM consultant who is willing to let you work with non-CM items (mine is, thank goodness!). I went to a CM class in 1999 and I was hooked! One thing I learned over time, I don't over embellish my pages. At first it's like this new thing you found and you want to put all of your ideas on every single page. When you do that you lose the real focus - the pictures. At a crop I went to years ago a lady told me something that I stick to even now - go nuts every 4 or 5 pages. Keep the pages in between simple, make sure you journal (never a problem for me, I probably journal too much!), and then every 5th page or so really make it special with lots of pretty papers and embellishments and maybe one or two focal pictures. That works for me, probably wouldn't for others, and you need to find your own style. Once you jump in you'll discover what you like and really have fun with it! Be careful - it's totally addictive

 

[pjlla]

What are the important essentials? Assuming you are going to do paper scrapping and not digital scrapping, your basic "can't live without" essentials would be scissors, a paper trimmer, a good ruler, a black journaling pen, a sharp pencil and eraser, adhesive, cardstock, page protectors and an album. Those are the rock-bottom basics. Next level would include patterned paper and maybe stickers, a few other colors of pen, a few basic punches like a corner rounder, small square, and small circle.

If you are going digital, you need (obviously) a good computer, a photo program such as PhotoShop, and digital page kits (which can be found free on the net). You would need to decide what size format you will work in and whether or not you will print your pages at home or elsewhere.

Are there groups out there I can join or books or tutorials to help get me started? You have found a great source right here with us! Plus there are other scrapping websites, such as www.twopeasinabucket.com that are great sources of inspiration and information. There are lots of books and magazines. Personally,I would suggest starting with Simple Scrapbooks magazine.... most of the pages are pretty but basic and not overwhelming to a beginner. Or, as a PP suggested, find a helpful CM consultant in your area. The basic CM style is pretty simple and would definitely help you get started. Plus their products are nice (pricey, but nice).


What tools are your favorites and what do you think you could not do without? (also, what tools do you wish you hadn't bought because you never really use them? I have a tendency to do that with new hobbies).

I cannot live without most of the basics I mentioned in the first question. I also have a Xyron (sticker maker) that I use LOTS. I do love the CM tape runner, but found it a pain in the neck to have to place an order and wait when I wanted my product, so I went back to using the Dotto adhesive I can buy at most local craft stores. It is pricey for the refills (considering how fast I use it up), but the coupons that are available weekly are helpful.

As far as tools I don't use....since I am basically pretty cheap, I didn't buy most of my tools until I was SURE that I needed/wanted them. I had been scrapping (in the modern sense of the word) for 8 years before I bought my Sizzix and then I waited until just this year to get my Cricut. I am very happy with both purchases and use them both. But I definitely didn't hop on the bandwagon the minute these things came on the market.

The tool I am currently not using at all is my CM oval cutting system. I loved it when I got it and it works GREAT, but ovals are just not "in" right now. So I have it tucked away... I am sure that ovals will come into style again some day and I will be ready!

My CM corner rounder was a good investment. My mother just started scrapping and we bought her corner rounder at the local scrap store and she says it is not nearly as nice as mine.

What are some things you wish you knew when you first started? K.I.S.S. Keep is simple, stupid! Some of my early pages (back in the mid 1990's) are a bit over the top, as far as shapes and colors go. Not being an "arty" person, I wasn't really aware of things like the "visual triangle" and the "rule of threes" and such art basics as that. But I have definitely been learning! And I have learned that scrap-lifting (borrowing someone else's ideas) is OKAY! I use lots of scrap maps and scrap sketches that I find in books and on the internet to help get me started, especially since I am not as artistic as many scrappers.

Start simple and basic and build from there.

What are some great ways to organize your things that actually encourage you to scrapbook whenever you have a free minute? (Is there a good storage solution you like?) Everyone's storage system is different. Some people store their stuff by brand, others by season and holiday, others by type. It definitely will take some time to decide what works for you. But BUY SLOWLY! Just like clothes and home decor, scrapping stuff goes in and out of style. And there is always better stuff out there! Other than basic cardstock, I would try to just buy for specific projects, especially in the beginning. Otherwise you could get overwhelmed with stuff.

I actually have my solid cardstock set up ROYGBIV and I have it standing upright, next to my work space, in USPS Priority Mail boxes. I cut the boxes at an angle (an idea I got here on the DIS) an I have one box per color. It works great, was free (I recycled boxes I received, not new ones). If the asthetics bothered you, you could decorate the outside.

There are lots of storage systems out there. If you must buy, buy small and inexpensive and maybe something modular could change with you. I bought two large 12 x 12 accordion files for my patterned paper years ago. They worked great but I outgrew them and now they are kind of in the way.... but I still use them because I am cheap! Wish I had just bought the plastic drawers that I wanted in the first place.


I'm sure I'll have alot more questions but I would appreciate any and all advice to get started. We've been going to Disney once a year for awhile so I'd love to start with a "Disney Through The Years" kind of album. Does that sound like a good way to start?

Disney Through the Years sounds like a great way to start. But don't be overwhelmed with a large quantity of pictures. Pick a few of the best from each trip and start from there.

Good luck and welcome to the world of scrapping!...................P

 

[Darcy03231]

I just started and here's what I got:

Paper trimmer
Good scissors
Ruler
Sharp pencil and white eraser
Journeling pens (I bought a package that had seven colors)
Plain paper in a variety of colors
Pattern paper
Corner punch
Adhesive (my local craft store had a package of 4 different types - dots, ez runner, squares and a strip).
corner mounts
Set of scissors for different edges (scallop, imperial, etc. - about 6 different ones came in the pack)

Since I'm doing a book based on WDW I also bought a couple of different WDW punches - mickey, mickey head, and mickey head/hands border punch. I've also bought a lot of stickers - mickey, minnie, princesses, goofy, donald, pluto, daisy, winnie the pooh, tigger, piglet, eyeore, etc.

 

[Raenstoirm]

KISS is a great response to pretty much all of your questions. The basics that have been listed are needed. I personally wouldn't put lot of money into it until you have done a book or two and decided you actually like it. So many people get into it because they "should." If you don't enjoy paper crafts then you shouldn't do them.

Disney is really easy to to, so that is a great start. Disney papers and stickers are everywhere. Again, don't go too hog wild until you get a feel for it. Also, for Disney, think out of the box a bit. Not all pages have to be covered in Disney papers to feel "Disney." Try a page with just solid papers of red, yellow and black for example and maybe one image of Mickey. As said, it is common rookie mistake to squish everything onto one page.

As you go, you will find that you are in need of something. On a page you might think.."ya know a circle would look really good here." So you go out a buy a circle cutter. Or you may see some cute brads (little metal things that go through the pages), so some type of hole punch is in order.

You amass a collection over time. I stared out with one box and now I have a whole room!

 

[hulagirl]

Thank you SO much for the detailed responses! This is some wonderful advice and really really appreciated! We're headed to WDW on the 24th and it will be my first time there with my Canon Xsi that DH gave me for Mother's Day. I'm really looking forward to getting started when some of the hype from the holidays dies down. Now, I know just what to ask for, for Christmas.

 

[Camicar]

You've gotten some great ideas. The basic tools I can't live without are:
-various sharp-pointed small scissors
-my Xyron "X" sticker maker
-my 12" paper trimmer and my smaller paper trimmer by Fiskars (hated the Cutterpede)
-my clear ruler (found in quilting section)
-my photo adhesive squares
-my Sizzix die cutters, including the original and the Sizzlit machines.

Some miscellaneous tidbits:
1. Look thru magazines or lay out sections of websites such as www.twopeasinabucket.com or www.scrapbook.com or www.scrapyourtrip.com. Get an idea of which styles of scrapbooking appeal to you and which do not. The work of others will help you figure out your own style.

2. Don't think there is a right way or a wrong way to do it.

3. Take a basic class. We took a basic class at Michael's for five or ten dollars and it was what got us started.

4. COPY your pictures -- do not use the originals.

5. Play around with different ways of doing your pages to find the way that works best for you. I recently discovered, for example, that by writing first and THEN designing the pages that my pages go so much faster because I have worked out in my head what the important aspects of the story are. Also, I am not then trying to fit my journaling onto the page -- I am fitting my page to the journaling, which works best for me.

6. Some pages/stories need a lot of journaling/photos, some do not. Again, there is no ONE right way to do scrapbooking.

7. Buy your album before you do your pages and MEASURE THE ACTUAL SIZE OF THE INTERIOR OF THE PAGE PROTECTOR. I recently discovered that an expensive 12x12 album I'd purchase for my Italy trip scrapbook has page protectors that actually measure 11.75". That is not 12 inches and if I wanted to use that album I'd have to cut my pages down 1/4" of an inch. You'd think that wouldn't be a big deal, but it is. So I then had to go out and buy a new scrapbook -- wasting time and money.

8. Consider whether you are process or goal oriented. For example, I am process oriented and so I enjoy the process of playing with my pages. I don't care if it takes me 2 weeks to finish a page or if I rip it apart 3 times. I once spent hours upon hours cutting a picky little design out of a piece of pattened paper so I could overlay it on another piece of paper to get exactly the cobwebby look I wanted for one of my Tower of Terror pages. My dd -- who is goal oriented -- thought I was nuts. If she can't finish a page in an hour or two, forget it. However, she then gets mad that her pages aren't as elaborate as mine tend to be and mine are never done as quickly as hers- well, you can't have everything! LOL

 

[Nancy for Disney]

I was just getting ready to make a similar post. Thanks for all the tips but boy am I really overwhelmed. I am getting ready to start my scrapbook soon since I am almost done with my TR. I am wanting to keep it basic. I bought a large WDW scrapbook on our trip. I was just wanting to add the pictures and then type of few comments. I have horrible handwriting. I may even pull a few paragraphs from my TR. Do you think that will work?

 

[Mom-to-2-Princesses]

I was just getting ready to make a similar post. Thanks for all the tips but boy am I really overwhelmed. I am getting ready to start my scrapbook soon since I am almost done with my TR. I am wanting to keep it basic. I bought a large WDW scrapbook on our trip. I was just wanting to add the pictures and then type of few comments. I have horrible handwriting. I may even pull a few paragraphs from my TR. Do you think that will work?

I dislike my handwriting as well and do my journaling on the computer and either print on fun paper or on clear sticker paper and place that in my book. It allows me to have *lots* of fun with my fonts!

OP - I think you made a GREAT start in your basics. You will love your corner rounder! (I think that is my favorite tool -- even though it is one of the most boring!). I remember when I started it took longer than I thought to get a page done, but now I can breeze through it! A Tip - remember the pages are across each other, so I try to do two pages at a time.

And your family will think you are crazy -- but at Disney remember to keep things you might want to put in your album: maps (get 2 for both sides!), fast passes (2 for both sides!), confetti, special cards - train conductor, front of monorail. Take pictures of signs! Crazy, but they are great headers for pages. Place your kids with the signs. I also love to get pictures of the kids on the rides!

Have fun!

 

[hulagirl]

These are all such wonderful ideas. We are leaving in 9 days and I'm getting so excited. I also just got a new lens which will make using the camera alot of fun this time too.

I've been reading up on digital scrapbooking too. I think I may do a combination of both. I think you're right folks...I think this could become an addiction. I'm already looking at and dreaming of the Cricut Expressions. Do I have it bad? lol

 

[pjlla]

I was just getting ready to make a similar post. Thanks for all the tips but boy am I really overwhelmed. I am getting ready to start my scrapbook soon since I am almost done with my TR. I am wanting to keep it basic. I bought a large WDW scrapbook on our trip. I was just wanting to add the pictures and then type of few comments. I have horrible handwriting. I may even pull a few paragraphs from my TR. Do you think that will work?

That would definitely work. When I scrap my Disney trips, I basically think of the scrapbooks as fancy, illustrated trip journals. I use all of my journaling in the books (I scrap in strictly chronological order.... I'm sort of anal about it
). GO ahead and use your trip report.... why not... they are your words and feelings......................P

 

[Camicar]

Of course, you can/should use your TR for your scrapbook journaling.

I found that using my blog of my trip to Italy was a HUGE help in making my scrapbooks. The blog writing helped me organize my thoughts and bec I included photos/maps/postcards in my blog, it also helped me organize my scrapbook pages. This pre-scrapbooking organization has helped me make my pages go so much faster, I can't believe it.

 

[labdogs42]

These are all such wonderful ideas. We are leaving in 9 days and I'm getting so excited. I also just got a new lens which will make using the camera alot of fun this time too.

I've been reading up on digital scrapbooking too. I think I may do a combination of both. I think you're right folks...I think this could become an addiction. I'm already looking at and dreaming of the Cricut Expressions. Do I have it bad? lol

Yes, you have it bad, and that's good! Scrapping is a fun addiction to have. If you get a top-loading album you can combine paper and digital layouts easily.

I highly recommend a CM class to get started. I am not a CMC, but I still think CM makes some of the best products out there. I love their albums, papers, and tools. I'd get their personal trimmer, 12" trimmer, and custom cutting system with circles and ovals to get started. Throw in some adhesive and Disney papers and stickers and you are on your way!